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Heritage

  • (Photo Coming soon, having a problem uploading it) The late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were a boom period for Irish waterways. HM Treasury had cash to burn and influential Irish MPs were keen to bring money home in the form of infrastructure investment. As navigation by waterway became faster and easier, new possibilities opened up: fresh eggs and bacon to Liverpool for breakfast, a ready supply of turf to Limerick to fuel the distillery, bogs drained for arable land, and fast comfortable trips to Kilkee to take the sea air. Based on a collection of the late Brian J Goggin's extensive research and writings on Irish waterways, this book tells the story of those improvements and of many diversions along the way: waterways which were never completed, debauchery in the canals of Dublin, cargoes stolen, workers on strike and boats sunk. This is a selection of what his family hope you will find to be interesting articles on interesting subjects, rather than a comprehensive history of Ireland's waterways. The book is a has a hardback cover with a paper slip. It measures 24.1 x 17 x 2.8cm
  • First published in 1949, Green & Silver by L.T.C. Rolt describes a journey through the inland waterways of Ireland. He takes us over the mighty Shannon from the upper limit of navigation at the little village of Battlebridge, near Leitrim down to Lough Derg of the islands and storms. With him we travel on the Grand Canal across the curlew-haunted solitude's of the great Bog of Allen down to Dublin's Ringsend Docks and returning to the Shannon via the majestic Royal Canal. Rolt in his inimitable style paints a picture of an Ireland that has all but disappeared and very different to the Ireland of today. The Royal Canal closed a few short years after his journey and fell into a state of neglect and decay. However as a result of the Trojan efforts of some very dedicated people, the Royal Canal reopened to navigation in late 2010. Once again it is possible to follow in the wake of Rolt and while the towns and villages of his day have changed greatly, the waterways have remained the same. While not everybody will have the time or resources to enjoy the pleasures of slow boat travel along these incredibly beautiful waterways, reading Green and Silver with its descriptive prose is an excellent substitute. It is the classic book of the Irish Waterways and will appeal to the armchair traveler, boater, social historian and anyone with an interest in the history off our Irish canals. This edition published 2015 by The Canal Bookshop with a forward by Tim Rolt. Soft Cover, 237pages 240x185x16mm
  • Fine Lines - Clear Water is the second book published by the Heritage Boat Association documenting the floating heritage of Ireland's inland waterways. It complements the earlier publication Cool Metal - Clear Water. It covers a range of historic craft found on the Irish waterways including Irish built working boats, Dutch & English barges, Flying Boat Tenders and a number of pleasure boats. It also contains a very useful index to both volumes.
  • The Shannon Navigation by Ruth Delany. Hardback The Shannon Navigation traces the history of the River Shannon as a navigation up to the present day from the 1750's when the early works were commenced under the Commissioners of Inland Navigation and subsequently under the Directors General of Inland Navigation. It traces the early routes, the development of the navigation through the turbulent late 18th century and the massive improvements undertaken during the early and middle 19th century , much of which was to provide work for the poor. The decline of the navigation in the interwar and postwar years is covered as is the campaigns by the IWAI and others to retain the navigation, and its extraordinary resurgence as Ireland premier leisure navigation in more recent times Lavishly illustrated with over 250 photographs and illustrations, many not published before, this magnificent documentary history is the most authoritative and complete text on the Shannon navigation. Hardback, 300 pages, 250 photos and illustrations, tables, appendices. Published by Lilliput press in association with Waterways Ireland. Now reduced to €50.00
  • The Shannon Navigation by Ruth Delany. Paperback The Shannon Navigation traces the history of the River Shannon as a navigation up to the present day from the 1750's when the early works were commenced under the Commissioners of Inland Navigation and subsequently under the Directors General of Inland Navigation. It traces the early routes, the development of the navigation through the turbulent late 18th century and the massive improvements undertaken during the early and middle 19th century , much of which was to provide work for the poor. The decline of the navigation in the interwar and postwar years is covered as is the campaigns by the IWAI and others to retain the navigation, and its extraordinary resurgence as Ireland's premier leisure navigation in more recent times Lavishly illustrated with over 250 photographs and illustrations, many not published before, this magnificent documentary history is the most authoritative and complete text on the Shannon navigation. Paperback, 300 pages, 250 photos and illustrations, tables, appendices. Published by Lilliput press in association with Waterways Ireland. Now reduced to €27.00
  • Ruth Delany & Ian Bath This is a revised, more lavish edition of the book published in 1992. The book is the fruit of many years research by Ruth Delany and Ian Bath into the records of the canal company and other sources. the book begins with Ruth's log of the last journey along the canal in 1955 and then traces the story of how one of Ireland's principal waterways came into being. It covers the problems of construction, the rivalry with the Grand Canal, the active working years, the Midland Great Western Railway takeover and the decline and eventual closure of the canal. The book then recounts the campaign begun in 1974 to restore the canal and the parts played by the OPW, Ian Bath, Eddie Slane and others. The book is illustrated by photos, drawings, engravings, posters and maps and has a wealth of detail in the appendices about the company finances, tonnage carried etc.
  • - Ruth Delany A comprehensive, and many would say the definitive guide to the history and development of the canal systems of Ireland from the 1730s to the present day. Now updated to include recent developments this absorbing and fully-illustrated history of Ireland's inland waterways focuses on the stories of the routes and their economic role. Revised edition, Appletree Press, 2004 ISBN 0862818249
  • Sean Cahill, Jimmy Casey and Gearoid O’Brien A unique guide to Lough Ree, and one of the most important new books published about Lough Ree in the recent past, includes the ecclesiastical, civil and social history of the larger islands on the lake. A must for those interested in the unique feature of Lough , that until very recently it still had inhabitants on its island. Hardback The IWAI has supported this final reprint and we have copies available now. Order this unique book today
  • Until the early 18th century, life for the majority of people in Ireland had not changed greatly since the Middle Ages, but then the pace of change began to accelerate. New sources of power heralded the Industrial Revolution in Britain, although Ireland's economy continued to be largely agriculture based. However a better transport system was needed to enable more efficient movement of goods and materials. This was provided by civil engineers who planned, designed and built canals, improved the existing roads, developed railways, and extended the harbours. They also provided water supplies for the growing centres of population and systems for the disposal of wastewater required for improvements in public health. Fully illustrated throughout, the book is an important contribution to the industrial history of Ireland and describes the achievements of such famous names as Alexander Nimmo, Sir John Macneill, Bindon Blood Stoney and John Killaly. It includes a gazetteer of many surviving historical civil engineering works, ranging from bridges, aqueducts and viaducts, to canals, dams and water supplies, and from docks and harbours to lighthouses. Edited by Ronald Cox and Philip Donald. Collins Press. While not exclusively an "Inland Waterways" book, this is nevertheless a very useful reference for anyone with an interest in our inland waterways. Paperback 288p 245 x 172 x 17mm. Full Colour.
  • Bernadette Cunningham & Harman Murtagh, editors. Combining archaeology, historical geography, history and literature, this book explores the settlement history of Lough Ree through the centuries. Themes include place-names, mythology and literature, the architecture and context of ecclesiastical and secular buildings on the islands and surrounding shores, demesne landscapes, boating on the lake and modern island living. These authoritative studies of key themes associated with the historic settlement of this lake land region are a valuable resource to inform future work on the heritage landscape of Lough Ree and the River Shannon. The book is part of a successful series of thematic essay collections produced by the Group for the Study of Irish Historic Settlement. Hardback. 264 Pages. 240x165x22mm.
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    For over thirty years the re-opening of the Ulster Canal has been the passionate dream of historian and waterways expert Brian Cassells, so come with him now on a stroll along the banks of the Ulster Canal through the pages of this book to learn of its history, the traumas of its inception, the struggles of its 90 year commercial life leading to its closure and the exciting prospects of what a rejuvenated Ulster Canal could become. 108Pages, Hardback 216x220x15mm.

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